Tag: Home Office

These extra patrols, along with hundreds more arrests and stop and searches, were just one part of the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, launched 6 months ago.

The latest data shows that since hotspot uniformed patrols have been rolled out in 10 pilot areas, there have been over 250 arrests, over 600 stop and searches and around 1,000 other enforcement actions such as community protection notices and public protection orders.

Through the Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, up to £20 million of funding will be invested in 16 pilot areas to trial either hotspot police and enforcement patrols, or a new ‘Immediate Justice’ scheme to bring in swift and visible punishments to perpetrators of antisocial behaviour. Some areas are trialling both schemes.

Thanks to this work, several hotspot trial forces have reported significant declines in antisocial behaviour. The Lancashire Constabulary have reported that in Brunswick, Blackpool, there has been a 36% fall in reported incidents of antisocial behaviour compared to the same period last year when hotspot patrols were not in place.

Staffordshire Police have reported a combined 20% fall in reported incidents of antisocial behaviour across 5 locations in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme compared to the previous year.

It is estimated that at least 150,000 hours of additional individual police and partner hotspot patrols will be delivered by March 2024 across the 10 pilot areas before the initiative is rolled out across every police force in England and Wales later in the year.

Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

Antisocial behaviour ruins neighbourhoods and brings fear and misery to local people, be it people smoking cannabis in the street, intimidating gatherings in public spaces or acts of vandalism.

We will not tolerate it. I am delighted that our action plan and zero-tolerance approach is beginning to have a positive impact in communities up and down the country.

By giving the police and local partners the tools they need to tackle antisocial behaviour we can help ensure wherever people live they can feel safe and proud of the place they call home.

Today’s announcement coincides with a meeting of the antisocial behaviour taskforce. Jointly led by the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, this will bring together police and crime commissioners, police chiefs and local partners to continue to drive progress on the government‘s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove said:

The poison of antisocial behaviour stops people from feeling safe in their community and erodes local pride.

That’s why our Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan is a vital part of our mission to level up. As we can see from today’s data, that plan is starting to deliver results – showing victims and communities across the country that thuggish behaviour will never be tolerated.

The meeting will allow those on the ground to give first-hand account of what is working in the fight against antisocial behaviour in their local area community and enable ministers to be sure that those on the front line have the tools they need.

This comes after the government recently announced that possession of nitrous oxide, also known as ‘laughing gas’, will be illegal from 8 November 2023, delivering on the Home Secretary’s pledge to get tougher on flagrant drug taking in local communities and associated antisocial behaviour.

Other measures that have been delivered since the launch of the plan include:

• every police and crime commissioner in England and Wales has been allocated up to £1 million as part of the Safer Streets Fund to cover the period from 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2025, to run local projects to combat antisocial behaviour, acquisitive crime and violence against women and girls
• additional funding of up to £2.5 million has been put in place for transport safety officers to make public transport safer, including specially-trained staff to deal with low-level nuisance and disorder
• punishment for those who graffiti, litter or fly tip has been increased with fines of up to £500 and £1,000
• an extra one million hours of youth services has been provided for areas with the highest rates of antisocial behaviour to put people on the right track and prevent them from offending in the first place

In the coming months we will launch the Anti-Social Behaviour One-Stop Shop where people can report antisocial behaviour to the right local responders and get feedback on the response. This will also enable local agencies to share information on perpetrators of antisocial behaviour within communities, identify repeat offenders and take necessary action. This tool will ensure that members of the public can find local services that are best placed to act on their reports of antisocial behaviour and to build confidence that reports will be taken seriously and addressed.

Further action also being taken over the coming months includes:

• more powers being put in place for landlords and housing associations to evict unruly tenants who ruin their neighbours’ lives through antisocial behaviour
• parks and green spaces being restored with up to £5 million to make them safer with new CCTV and repairing equipment and playgrounds, and to plant more trees and flowers
• work underway to bring forward legislation to repeal the outdated Vagrancy Act 1824, with a package of new measures to better equip the police and local authorities to respond to nuisance begging and rough sleeping which can be harmful to individuals themselves and to the wider public

Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Executive of Resolve said:

We know from our own research that many victims and witnesses don’t report antisocial behaviour, but they’d be more likely to report behaviour if there was a more visible police and agency presence.

This ‘hotspot’ approach makes the best use of limited resources, and we very much look forward to seeing it rolled out across the country.

Case study 1: Lancashire Constabulary

This year, hotspot patrols in Brunswick, Blackpool by Lancashire Constabulary during July, August and September have seen police working with local partners to tackle antisocial behaviour including begging, sex working and threatening behaviour. The increased presence of officers on the street has seen reports of incidents antisocial behaviour decline by 36.6% compared to the same period last year.

Case study 2: Staffordshire Police

This year, hotspot policing by Staffordshire Police during July, August, and September in 5 hotspot areas in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme has seen a combined decline in reported incidents of antisocial behaviour of 20% by members of the public compared to the same period last year.

In Newcastle-under-Lyme town centre, additional police patrols were put in place to combat drug and alcohol related antisocial behaviour. After identifying areas where drug paraphernalia was being discarded, follow-up work with partner agencies by the police took place to clean up the area alongside high visibility patrols to provide reassurance to the local community and deter drug users.

After dispersing groups of young people, a quantity of drugs, including monkey dust and cannabis, was seized alongside several knives.

Case study 3: Essex Police

Over 2,757 hours of police patrols and 1,400 hours of Community Safety Partnership patrols have now been delivered in 11 antisocial behaviour hotspots across Essex. As a result, there has been:

• 35 arrests
• 109 stop and searches
• 58 informal warnings issued
• 45 fixed penalty notices issued

In one pilot area, Debden, police and Community Safety Partnership teams have worked collaboratively to use a public space protection order (PSPO) to tackle a high volume of antisocial behaviour incidents relating to drug taking, nuisance noise, aggressive begging, intimidation and fighting. This work has made a difference to local business owners and the public who praised the positive proactive work of the team.

Case study 4: Sussex Police

In Sussex, a man was caught graffiti tagging on an industrial estate, damaging property and causing a negative effect on surrounding businesses, staff and members of public passing through the area.

The individual was referred by officers into the ‘Immediate Justice’ scheme and he was required to carry out reparative work within Brighton’s city centre, including litter picking and weeding public planters in an area known for ASB incidents.

The terms of a review looking at whether existing legislation on police use of force and driving provides sufficient protections for those in the line of duty, and maintains public confidence in policing, have been published today (24 October 2023).

The review, which was requested by the Home Secretary and will be coordinated by the Home Office, is expected to provide findings to Suella Braverman by the end of the year.

The first part of the review will assess whether the existing legal and regulatory framework that underpins police use of force and police driving offers the right protections to the police, particularly firearms officers. It will also examine if these frameworks are sufficient to maintain the public’s confidence in policing, particularly communities and families impacted by police actions.

The review will also consider the systems for investigating police officers, including referrals to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, especially in incidents where members of the public have been killed or injured, and whether cases involving those acting in the line of duty should be treated differently from other cases.

The timeliness of investigations and legal processes will also be looked into, including whether more effective working between the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the Crown Prosecution Service can reduce timescales of criminal investigations and whether there are options to reduce any duplications in criminal, coronial and misconduct processes.

Finally, the review will examine whether improvements need to be made to officer suspension and anonymity. This will look at communications following an incident and ask if they strike the right balance between providing clarity to officers and reassuring members of the public.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

We depend on our brave police officers to put themselves in harm’s way in order to keep us safe.

It is one of the toughest jobs, relying on officers to make life or death decisions in a split second and we should never take it for granted.

It is why I requested this review to ensure the legal frameworks under which the police operate command the confidence of both officers and members of the public.

The Home Office will work with the Ministry of Justice and the Attorney General’s Office on this review and is clear that it will not impinge on the operational independence of the police and other relevant bodies in the criminal justice system. The review will also not consider ongoing investigations or live legal proceedings.

Government, law enforcement, academics, survivors, charities and industry, came together today (23 October) to discuss the horrible nature of acid attacks and consider what more can be done to protect our society.

The meeting, jointly chaired by the Safeguarding Minister, Sarah Dines, and Katie Piper OBE, was an opportunity for government, policing, trading standards, charities, retailers and the delivery sector to discuss the action to date in preventing and tackling corrosive attacks and what more can be done to clamp down on these horrendous acts of violence which devastate lives.

Government action to tackle the use of acid and other corrosives in violent attacks is based on four key strands: strong policing, effective legislation, providing support for victims and survivors, and working with retailers to restrict access to acids and other harmful corrosive products.

Minister for Safeguarding, Sarah Dines, said:

Acid attacks devastate lives and leave victims with both emotional and physical scars and our thoughts remain with all the survivors and their families.

The government is committed to doing all we can to prevent acid and other corrosive substances being used as weapons, and to ensure strong punishments for those who do so.  We have already introduced the measures within the Offensive Weapons Act which makes it an offence to carry these substances in public, to ensure the cowards who use acids as weapons face the full force of the law, and also ban the sale of acid and other corrosives to under-18s and the delivery of such substances to residential premises and lockers to restrict the availability and prevent their misuse.

We know that legislation alone will not prevent attacks, which is why conversations such as today’s are so important.  I thank those who participated, especially, Katie Piper, Andreas Christopheros and the other survivors who are so brave and courageous.

The round table brought together the many structures both inside and outside of government aimed at protecting the public from such attacks to discuss, retailers’ statutory obligations, including around age verification, and to ensure they have all the necessary tools to effectively enforce these measures.

The meeting also explored ideas about what more can be done to reduce the risk of corrosive products being misused as weapons, whether retailers are taking this seriously enough and if more can be done by staff to question the use at the time of purchase.

Katie Piper and Andreas Christopheros previously met with the Home Secretary on 12 December 2022 to discuss their concerns and ideas, which has led to today’s event.

Katie Piper, philanthropist and broadcaster, said:

Today was about progress, prevention and proactive conversation.

Over the past couple of years I have worked tirelessly to keep this topic on the government agenda.

This is a very serious issue and statistics show violent crime using acid is increasing at an alarming and disturbing rate.

Reducing accessibility and the sale of corrosive substances is absolutely crucial to reducing acid attacks, and the resulting horrendous impact it has on victims.

Retailers, associations and delivery gateways all have a colossal duty and responsibility to help us in our aims.

I remain absolutely determined in my mission for change – today for accessibility, but tomorrow also for sentencing, legislation, funding and increased regulation.

Andreas Christopheros, acid attack survivor and campaigner, said:

Surviving and living through the wake of an acid attack is a challenge like no other. Survivors are left broken physically, emotionally, and financially and many will carry these struggles for the rest of their lives.

It’s promising that the government has engaged in our campaign for change,  however, more needs to happen. We must keep pushing for a better future for survivors of these horrific crimes.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Corrosive Attacks, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alexis Boon, said:

The use of corrosive substances to commit acts of violence devastates lives and causes physical and psychological damage to victims that can last a lifetime.

We are committed to working with the public and partners to tackle this appalling crime and welcome efforts made in recent years to help, including changes to legislation brought about by the Offensive Weapons Act 2019, that restrict sale, possession, and delivery of corrosive substances. Reflecting corrosive substances in UK legislation for the first time, rightly demonstrates how serious such offences are.

Today’s meeting with key partners was extremely constructive and indicates a real joint commitment to tackling this crime. Many corrosive substances are available over the counter at supermarkets and DIY stores, including for example bleach and drain cleaners. It is important that law enforcement and government work closely with retailers themselves, to enhance our intelligence picture, and determine the best ways to keep these products from falling into the hands of people who intend to use them to cause harm.

Serious crimes such as this should not go unreported. I would urge anyone who is a victim of this type of attack to report it to the police, so that it can dealt with positively and sensitively.

Drug gangs across the UK were targeted in a national police operation last week, leading to 250 county lines being taken down and 1,613 arrests.

The County Lines Intensification Week, co-ordinated by the NPCC-led National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), also saw 103kg of cannabis seized, alongside 40kg of Class A drugs worth over £1.2 million, 33 firearms, 377 bladed weapons, and over £1.2 million in cash, as forces made large gains against these gangs and the products that finance their exploitative criminality.

710 vulnerable people, including 58 children were also referred by police to safeguarding services through the national operation. Exploitation, coercion, and violence are cornerstones of the county lines trade, and cannabis is used by gangs to trap young people into debt, forcing them to transport their drugs and sell to other children to continue the cycle. By rescuing these vulnerable people from the grip of these gangs and helping them into support services such as the Home Office-funded Catch 22, this cycle of violence and abuse is being broken.

In one operation attended by the Home Secretary during the National Police Chiefs’ Councils (NPCC) Intensification Week in the West Midlands, £850,000 worth of cannabis was seized from cannabis factories, with more than 850 plants and nearly 6kg of dried cannabis recovered.

Last week’s enforcement successes come as new Home Office statistics show that since April 2022, 1,700 lines have been taken down though the government’s County Lines Programme, alongside 3,300 arrests and 4,100 vulnerable people referred to support services, highlighting the success law enforcement, government and support services are having in bringing down this heinous criminality.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

Vile thugs running county lines drug gangs blight our communities and groom the most vulnerable in society for their personal gain.

Our police officers are working every day to break up these criminal networks pushing illegal drugs on our streets, and since April 2022 they have shut down over 1,700 county lines through the County Lines Programme.

My message is clear. We will not tolerate illegal drugs of any kind, and we must rid our communities of these criminals.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for County Lines, Commander Paul Brogden, said:

County Lines drug dealing destroys lives, and we are committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs, and the exploitation and violence that is frequently associated with it.

County Lines remains a top priority for policing and our latest intensification week figures show significant inroads policing has made into these criminal networks with 250 county lines closed during the week. Not only that, but we have continued to go after the line holders and arrested over 1,600 criminals involved in county lines and taken extremely dangerous weapons, including 33 firearms off the street.

Our message is clear to anyone running county lines across the country: we will be relentless in our pursuit of you, we will shut down your county lines, we will take drugs off our streets and we will rescue those who are being exploited by you.

The intensification week, which ran from Monday 9 October to Sunday 15 October, saw:

• 250 county lines taken down
• 1,613 people arrested
• 458 weapons seized, including 33 firearms, 377 bladed weapons, 3 crossbows, 21 batons and 28 knuckle dusters
• over £1.2 million worth of Class A and Class B drugs seized
• £437,000 worth of crack cocaine, £100,000 worth of heroin, 40kg of cocaine and 103kg of cannabis seized
• £1,284,729.88 in cash seized

The government established the County Lines Programme in 2019 to tackle the abusive and violent county lines trade, providing forces and victim support services a clear strategy to end the terror these gangs inflict on our streets. Adopted by the 4 forces that face the majority of county lines criminality – Metropolitan Police, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and West Midlands Police – the County Lines Programme closed over 1,700 lines between April 2022 and June 2023, achieving in just over a year 85% of the 3-year target set in the 2021 Drug Strategy.

Key to the programme is victim support, and the government has put up to £5 million into services such as Catch 22 and Missing People’s SafeCall service to help young people and their families as they escape these gangs. To continue to help these victim support services and front-line workers, updated guidance has also been published by the Home Office today that will aid the identification of potential victims and appropriate safeguarding referral routes, and ensure those who are in need receive help.

James Simmonds-Read, National Programme Manager at the Children’s Society, said:

Criminals groom young people in person or online and use terrifying threats and violence to force them into crimes such as carrying drugs and fraud or exploiting them sexually.

This Awareness Week we want to highlight how exploitation can happen to any young person, anywhere, and as the nights draw in, we especially urge people to spot the signs of exploitation in public places after dark.

Young people can be targeted at fast food outlets, forced to travel on trains and in taxis late at night, and are abused behind closed doors, in hotels and holiday lets.

Whether you are on a night out, commuting home, staying overnight for a business trip, or working as a driver or in customer service, you could be the one that gets help.

Call the police on 101 or 999 if there is an immediate risk. If on a train text British Transport Police on 61016. Alternatively, you can contact the NSPCC for advice on 0808 800 5000.

Repeat serious users of nitrous oxide could face up to 2 years in prison and dealers up to 14 years, as the government delivers on its zero-tolerance approach to antisocial behaviour.

The ban, promised as part of the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan, will make nitrous oxide a controlled Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Secondary legislation due to be laid today will mean possession of nitrous oxide, where a person intends to wrongfully inhale it – for example ‘to get high’ – will be an offence. Consequences could include:

• an unlimited fine
• a visible community punishment
• a caution – which would appear on their criminal record
• a prison sentence for repeat serious offenders

Earlier this year, the Home Secretary urged police forces to get tough on flagrant drug taking in local communities, with reports linking nitrous oxide to antisocial behaviour such as intimidating gatherings on high streets and in children’s parks, often leaving empty canisters scattered across public spaces.

Heavy, regular abuse of the drug also poses significant health risks for users including anaemia and in more severe cases, nerve damage or paralysis. It has been identified as having potentially fatal consequences on the UK’s roads from incidents of drug driving.

Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

We are delivering on the promise we made to take a zero-tolerance approach towards antisocial behaviour and flagrant drug taking in our public spaces.

Abuse of nitrous oxide is also dangerous to people’s health and today we are sending a clear signal to young people that there are consequences for misusing drugs. Both users and dealers will face the full force of the law for their actions.

There are still many necessary uses for nitrous oxide and those with a legitimate reason for possessing the substance will be exempt from the ban. For example, it will continue to be lawful for catering purposes and in maternity wards when used as pain relief during labour.

Licences will not be required to carry nitrous oxide, but individual users will need to demonstrate they are lawfully in possession of nitrous oxide and not intending to consume it for psychoactive effects.

The maximum sentence for production, supply importation or exportation of the drug for unlawful purposes has now doubled, from 7 to 14 years’ imprisonment.

As is already the case, there is also a responsibility on legitimate producers and suppliers of nitrous oxide to not be reckless as to whether someone is buying their product to misuse, with no legitimate reason. Turning a blind eye will be committing an offence.

CEO of Neighbourhood Watch John Hayward-Cripps said:

At Neighbourhood Watch, we support the government’s ban on nitrous oxide under new legislation from the 8th of November.

As consumption of nitrous oxide has increased over the years, there has been a connected increase in reports of antisocial behaviour, including the littering of nitrous oxide canisters. For communities across the country, the banning of the substance under new legislation will be a positive move towards tackling antisocial behaviour, and making local communities a better and safer place to live.

Once the legislation has come into effect, we encourage members of the public to report any illegal consumption of nitrous oxide or other drugs to their local police.

CEO of Night-time Industries Association Michael Kill said:

We welcome the announcement by the government today that nitrous oxide is set to be banned under new government legislation by the 8th of November, but recognise that this must work hand in hand with a much broader education and harm reduction strategy on drugs across the country.

The burden on businesses has been substantial, as they’ve contended with mounting pressure from authorities and residents due to the proliferation of discarded silver canisters on the streets.

This predicament has not only posed risks to the wellbeing of both staff and patrons but has also fostered an environment conducive to petty crime, antisocial behaviour, and the activities of organised crime syndicates.